Taxi protest: Central London faces severe disruption today as black cabbies lash out against TfL policies
Central London is set to suffer severe traffic disruption as thousands of cabbies prepare to protest around Trafalgar and Parliament Square.
Taxi drivers will protest Transport for London's (TfL) taxi policies by driving through central London at a snail's pace at 2pm today.
The London Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) said:
TFL’s inability to deal with the growing threat to Londoners safety of illegal minicab touting, unlicensed operators and electric Rickshaws are the main grievances of the cabbies although the proposed Cycle Crossrail (Barmy Boris’s Barking Mad Bike Scheme) is now firmly in their sights.
Leon Daniels, TfL's managing director for surface transport, responded this afternoon in a press release:
It is regrettable that a number of taxi drivers – whose job it is to help keep this city moving – plan to cause unnecessary disruption to other road users.
The taxi trade has several forums with TfL and the Mayor. We urge them to communicate directly with us on the specific issues they wish to discuss.
TfL says bus routes will also be affected by the protest, with cyclists being urged to take extra care navigating the swathes of black cabs on the roads. The tube is touted as the best option for getting about town in the afternoon.
Back in June large parts of London were brought to a standstill as London's black cabs staged a mass protest against taxi app service Uber.
The LTDA argued Uber is not compliant with laws regarding taximeters. TfL has held the position that Uber's app does not constitute a taximeter, which can only be used by black cabs.